aircannonsinc Chapter 919: Make the virtual real!
Chapter 919: Make the virtual real!
Gao Yao therefore chose the most decisive and difficult approach: the entire army continued its rapid advance, pinning all hopes on speed and a race against time. The soldiers discarded all non-essential items, carrying only enough rations to get them to Xianyang, relying on sheer willpower to force their way forward.
Seeing the tall walls of Xianyang looming on the horizon, hope seemed within reach. The fatigue of the last few days seemed to have eased somewhat. But just then, a swift horse raced up from the rear of the team like a whirlwind. The scout, pale-faced, dismounted, his voice filled with urgency and despair:
"Report! General! The Chu army's vanguard cavalry is less than twenty miles away from our rearguard!"
The air seemed to freeze in an instant.
Gao Yao's heart sank. He looked around, and the glimmer of hope that had just ignited on the soldiers' faces was quickly replaced by panic and exhaustion. He had exhausted every possible strategy and bought every bit of time he could, but in the end, he still missed this crucial step.
Less than twenty miles, for elite cavalry, it was only a half-hour's dash. However, his army, mostly infantry, had already been exhausted after the long journey.
Xianyang is right in front of us, yet it seems as if there is a chasm between us.
Gao Yao took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress the turmoil in his heart. He drew his sword, pointing it towards Xianyang. His voice pierced the silence of the troops, carrying a sense of determination:
"Soldiers! Xianyang is within reach! The Chu bandits are approaching. Only a fight to the death will guarantee our survival! Follow me—speed up! Even if we have to crawl, we must reach Xianyang!"
In the final sprint, it is no longer about strategy, but only about blood and courage.
"Here!"
At Gao Yao's command, the air resonated with the clash of metal and stone. The officers, already somewhat languid from the rapid march, suddenly perked up and responded in unison, "Yes!" Their voices, though hoarse with fatigue, radiated a desperate resolve. The echo of the command lingered across the twilight wilderness, creating a chilling contrast with the distant clatter of Chu army hooves.
Gao Yao's hawk-like gaze swept across the generals, finally settling on the face of Ying Bu, the man beside him who had remained silent but carried the most fierce aura. Ying Bu's armor was stained with dust, and a streak of unwiped blood lingered on his cheek, but his eyes remained fierce, like a wounded beast, awaiting its master's command, ready to pounce on any incoming enemy.
"Ying Bu," Gao Yao's voice was low and clear, drowning out the wind. "I plan to split the team into four teams, two virtual and two real!"
"Two empty and two real?" Ying Bu's thick eyebrows immediately twisted into a knot, and his bronze face was full of confusion and puzzlement. "Your Majesty, what does this mean? Our army is already stretched thin. If we divide our troops at this moment, wouldn't that be cutting off our own arms? If the Chu army takes advantage of the situation and attacks, no team will be able to resist!" His worry was purely the thinking of a military general. He wanted to concentrate his strength and fight his way out, even if the price was heavy.
Gao Yao understood his concerns. He didn't have time to explain his strategic intentions in detail, but he had to make his most important aide understand the core idea. He raised his hand, signaling Ying Bu to calm down, but his eyes cast towards the last rays of the setting sun in the west, and he spoke faster:
"Ying Bu, you and I agree. If we face the enemy head-on, our army will undoubtedly be defeated. There is absolutely no chance of survival. Xiang Yu's cavalry is too powerful for our exhausted army to confront head-on. Therefore, a strong attack is the worst strategy. The only way to survive is to break up into small groups, confuse the enemy, and fight for that last glimmer of hope to reach the gates of Xianyang!"
He paused, picked up a dry branch, and quickly drew a few simple lines on the slightly muddy ground:
"The so-called 'two false and two true' strategy is to make it impossible for Yi Xiaochuan and Xiang Yu to determine the exact location of our main force, so that they will not dare to pursue any of them with all their might. From now on, you and I will each lead 8,000 elite troops. This is the 'two true' strategy. We will advance towards Xianyang along two parallel routes several miles apart, with all our might! This is our foundation, and we must protect it!"
Ying Bu stared at the lines on the ground. The confusion in his eyes eased slightly, but his doubts remained. "What about 'Liangxu'?"
Twenty miles behind the lines representing the two main armies, Gao Yao's branches split into two smaller arrows, pointing in different directions. "After you and I lead our troops twenty miles away from here, each of us will separate a thousand men from our main force to form two separate divisions. This is called 'two false divisions'! They won't rush directly to Xianyang, but will instead attack from the flanks, or even in a roundabout way. Along the way, they can raise flags and raise dust to create the illusion that troops are still on the move, their intentions unclear. Ultimately, these two divisions will also need to find ways to bypass and reunite in Xianyang."
Ying Bu took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, in this case, you and I will each only have 7,000 men left! Dividing the troops further will be extremely risky! And those 1,000 brothers may very well..." He didn't finish his words, but his meaning was very clear. These two "imaginary troops" may very well become bait to attract the Chu army and never return.
Gao Yao's expression was calm, but a flicker of pain flashed in his eyes. He knew full well that this was a risky, even cruel, move. "A merciful army is not a good one, Ying Bu. If we don't divide our forces to confuse them, the Chu cavalry will pursue our main force with all their might, and the remaining ten thousand or so men will likely be wiped out in this wilderness. Dividing our forces, while risky, still offers a glimmer of hope. Those two thousand men are the key to buying time for the main army. Their sacrifice will be worth it if it allows the main force to enter the city."
Gao Yao's voice was filled with unquestionable determination. "Remember, after the division, the main force must march at a steady pace and pretend to be fleeing at full speed. Meanwhile, the detachments must act as if the main force is hesitating and testing the waters, thus attracting the Chu army's separate forces to investigate."
This was Gao Yao's tactic of deliberately creating confusion. He knew full well that on the plains, a routed army composed primarily of infantry would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot if it tried to stop a pursuing cavalry unit. Whether he left behind a thousand or a hundred men as a rearguard, under the ferocious cavalry charge, few would remain after one round, effectively stalling the enemy. Therefore, he no longer sought physical "blockade" but rather psychological "delay" and "confuse" the enemy, creating doubt and slowing their actions.
After explaining the main plan, Gao Yao turned his gaze to a towering man in the queue. "Deyou!"
"I'm here!" With a resounding voice, Deyou, the Black Armored Cavalry's deputy commander, emerged from the crowd. He was clad in black, fine iron armor, his face largely obscured, revealing only a pair of gleaming eyes. He commanded two thousand of Gao Yao's most elite Black Armored Cavalry, their trump card for decisive action at crucial moments.